Ecolabel

The European Ecolabel is a voluntary scheme, established in 1992 to encourage businesses to market products and services that are kinder to the environment. The EU Ecolabel is part of a broader action plan on Sustainable Consumption and Production and Sustainable Industrial Policy adopted by the Commission on 16 July 2008.

Products and services awarded the Ecolabel carry the flower logo, allowing consumers - including public and private purchasers - to identify them easily. Today the EU Ecolabel covers a wide range of products and services, with further groups being continuously added (cleaning products, appliances, paper products, textile and home and garden products, lubricants and services such as tourist accommodation - www.eco-label.com).

Ecolabel criteria are not based on one single factor, but on studies which analyze the impact of the product or service on the environment throughout its life-cycle, starting from raw material extraction in the pre-production stage, through to production, distribution and disposal.

Benefits of EU Ecolabel use:

• for the companies: the EU  label is a competitive advantage due to the increase of visibility in the market and the enlargement of the target customers. The brand of the European Union (EU) gives the products the possibility of using a distinctive element, synonymous with quality and environmental performance. The recognition of the whole of Europe, revealing the product on the market and appeal to consumers who pay attention to environmental protection.
• for the consumers: the EU Ecolabel is a guarantee provided by the EU, the ecological quality and use of products that goes beyond the manufacturer's brand and allows you to make choices to minimize the negative environmental impacts of industrial products.
• The Ecolabel is among the preferred tools for developing sustainable procurement policies, implemented in both the public sector through the Green Public Procurement, and the private sector.

LCE worked in this field for both the development and review of the criteria in collaboration with European Commission  and  support for the Ecolabel accreditation procedure for the companies looking to achieve environmental product labeling following them and providing necessary support in the preparation of dossiers and for any subsequent phase of preliminary investigation.